Combination liquid container and drinking straw

ABSTRACT

A liquid container has a recess formed by a depression in the top wall thereof of sufficient depth to have a drinking straw nest therein while being insulated from the container contents. The said wall also has an accessible opening or hole therein for insertion of the straw into the container. A single tear strip adhered to the outer surface of said wall covers both the recess and said opening.

United States Patent 1191 Chang [451 Feb. 19, 1974 COMBINATION LIQUID CONTAINER AND DRINKING STRAW [75] Inventor: Henry M. Chang, Bronx, NY.

[73] Assignee: First Dynamics, Inc., New York,

22 Filed: Mar. 2, 1970 I [21] Appl. No.: 15,413

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 815,735, April 14,

1969, Pat. No. 3,623,632.

[52] US. Cl 220/90.2, 215/1 A, 220/85 D, 229/7 S [51] Int. Cl. A47g 19/22 [58] Field of Search 220/90.2, 90.4, 90.6, 85 D, 220/23; 229/1.5 C, 7 S; 215/1 A, 1 SC [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,559,868 2/1971 Chang 220/90.2 3,623,632 11/1971 Chang i 229/7 S 2,740,575

4/1956 Fontaine 229/7 S 3,240,415 3/1966 Pugh, Sr. 229/7 S 2,720,969 10/1955 Kendall 206/43 X 1,520,527 12/1924 Brooks 229/7 3,074,612 1/1963 Schneider 229/7 S X 3,438,578 4/1969 Peterson et al 229/7 S X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,538,893 7/1968 France 220/90.2

9,743 10/1927 Australia 229/7 S Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr.

Assistant Examiner-Allan N. Shoap Attorney, Agent, or FirmFrank Ledermann [5 7 ABSTRACT A liquid container has a recess formed by a depression in the top wall thereof of sufficient depth to have a drinking straw nest therein while being insulated from the container contents. The said wall also has an accessible opening or hole therein for insertion of the straw into the container. A single tear strip adhered to the outer surface of said wall covers both the recess and said opening.

4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PAIENTEB FEB! sum 1 OF 2 INVEN'IOR HENRY M. CHANG ll/z 41 61 2 A dbl aw ATTORNEY PATENTEBFEBI 9:974 I $792,798

sum 2 [IF 2 F IG.8

INVIiNIUR. HENRY M. CHANG BY a @alurmdw W I ATTORNEY COMBINATION LIQUID CONTAINER AND DRINKING STRAW This application is a continuation in part of my application Ser. No. 815,935, filed Apr. I4, 1969, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,632, entitled Combination Food Container and Implement for Extracting the Contents Thereof."

Among objects of the invention are the provision of a sealed straw-receiving recess extending linearly, that is, in a straight line along, preferably,a maximum dimension of a flat wall, preferably the top wall or cover, of a container, and the provision, as a modification, of a non-linear recess which may be triangular in outline and adapted to receive a bent straw of relatively greater length, together with an access opening for insertion of the straw into the container, and a single or unitary tear strip covering and sealing both the recess and the said opening. Although the only container illustrated herein is one having a rectangular cross-section, it is obvious that the invention is equally applicable to containers of other shapes such as, for example, those having circular or elliptical cross-sections.

Referring briefly to the drawing, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying features of the present invention, showing a circular hole in the cover for insertion of the straw and a straight or linear depression providing a recess in which a straight straw nests.

FIG. 2 is a reduced sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a reproduction in part of FIG. 2 and shows the straw of FIGS. 1 and 2 after removal from its recess an inserted through the hole in the cover for imbibing the container contents.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 except that they show various modifications in the outline of the opening for insertion of the straw.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 4 except that it shows two intersecting slits or cuts in the cover to form tongues which bend downward upon application thereto of one end of the straw for insertion of the straw into the con-tainer.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary top view, with parts broken away, of a modified form wherein the straw-receiving recess is shown triangular in outline and the straw is bent to nest therein.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the container 10 which is adapted to contain a liquid to be drunk, is shown, by way of example, rectangular in crosssectional shape. Preferably the top wall or cover 11, which is flat and sealed on the container body, has a recess 12 shown linear and formed by a depression extending along a maximum dimension, or diagonal, of the cover. In the case of a cylindrical container such maximum dimension is a diameter of the cover, and in the case of a container elliptical in cross-section the maximum dimension is the longer axis of the ellipse. The cover additionally has an opening or hole 14 therein shown spaced from the recess 12 and lacking any communication with the recess. A straw 13 whose external diameter does not exceed the depth of the recess l2 nests in its entirety in the recess.

A unitary tear strip of whatever desired shape is shown at 15 and is adhered to the outer surface of the cover to seal the recess 12 and the hole 14 by overlapping them. An unadhered tip 16 is preferably provided on the tear strip for readily grasping it to tear off the sealing strip 15. To faciltate grasping the straw the recess 12 is shown having a widened portion 17 shown positioned intermediate its length but which may obviously be positioned at any point along the length of the recess.

After tearing off the strip 15 and removing the straw the latter may be inserted through the hole 14 as shown in FIG. 3 to drink the contents. Since such straws are usually flexible and resilient to an extent, whether made of thin plastic or other suitable material, the hole in the cover through which the straw is inserted need not necessarily be circular in outline. Moreover, in order to be able to maintain the straw substantially or approximately upright in the case of a circular hole, a very close fit between the straw and the hole would be required. To insure close fitting as a result of partial clamping of the straw by the circumferential wall of the hole, a number of examples of non-circular holes are illustrated in FIGS. 4-6.

In FIG. 4 the hole is shown with its surrounding wall shaped in simulation of a figure 8. Here the straw 13 is inserted by first squeezing its lower end and then pushing the straw downward, whence its surrounding wall will be frictionally engaged at least by two opposed inward projections 23. In fact, a deformed outline otherwise similar to the figure 8 shownbut which has only one such projection 23, would also serve to provide frictional engagement between the straw and the hole. In either case the straw may be maintainedupright or it may be tilted to a degree.

In FIG. 5 the hole 14b is shown triangular in configuration and the straw 13 has its surrounding wall deformed and, when inserted, in engagement with the three sides of the triangle. In FIG. 6 the hole 140 is shown elliptical and its function is obvious in frictionally engaging the straw. All of the various holes for insertion of the straw permit a degree of swinging of the straw out of uprightposition.

FIG. 7 shows the equivalent of a hole for insertion of the straw through the cover except that instead of normally being an open hole two intersecting cross-cuts or slits 20, 21 are provided in the cover 11 thus forming four tongues 22 which are normally co-planar with the cover. Upon pressing an end of the straw downward upon these tongues the latter will bend or pivot downward on their bases which are represented in the drawing by phantom lines 24. When the straw is thus inserted the resilience of the tongues will cause them to hold the straw frictionally in position. Of course any number of slits 21 starting with at least three may be substituted for the slits shown.

Except for the circular hole 14 of FIGS. l-3 all of the modified forms shown in FIGS. 47 are non-circular in outline. Broadly speaking, such non-circular holes have at least one dimension measured between opposed walls thereof smaller than the external diameter of the straw to provide frictional engagement of the straw, and such engagement additionally prevents the straw from falling out of the hole.

In FIGS. 8 and 9 is shown only a fragment of a modified container cover 11a for containers where it is desired to provide a relatively longer straw as, for example, for use by persons in reclining position whence it is advantageous to have a straw which may be bent in the direction of the persons mouth while the container is being held in a manner to prevent spilling of its contents through the hole. Such a feature is particularly desireable in hospitals. Here a non-linear recess 12a is shown provided in the form of a triangular depression having the floor 18 and the surrounding walls 19 which extend at an angle to each other. The elongated straw is shown bent and substantially at its middle to form two arms 13b nested in the recess 12a with the said arms resiliently urged against at least two of the side walls 19, or at least confined between such two side walls. A hole 14d which may be circular or noncircular, is again provided through the cover for insertion of the straw into the container. A tear strip 150 which is of suitable shape and dimensions to seal both the recess 12a and the hole 140', is adhered to the cover and is also preferably provided with an unadhered tab 16a.

Although the container shown in the drawing has its top wall or cover overhanging the side walls thereof, it

is obvious that such overhang is not essential to the invention. Further, although the recess in which the straw nests has been illustrated as being in the top wall or cover of the container, as well as the straw-insertion hole, both or either of these parts may obviously be applied to any wall ofa container having flat side and bottom walls as well as in the bottom wall rather than the top wall of containers having curved side walls, that is, those having circular or elliptical cross-sections. For example, if the straw-receiving recess were positioned in a side wall and the straw-insertion hole positioned in an adjacent wall, most logically the top wall, then the tear strip would be so shaped and dimensioned as to overlap the common edge between such mutually adjacent walls and to cover both the recess and the hole.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. in combination, a liquid container and a drinking straw, said container having at least one flat wall, said flat wall having a depression extending inward into the container providing a recess bound by side walls and a base wall which lies in a plane parallel with said flat wall, said recess being dimensioned to receive said straw and having a depth at least equal to the external diameter of said straw, said flat wall having an accessible opening thereinto dimensioned to permit insertion of the straw into the container, said straw normally nesting in its entirety in said recess, a unitary tear strip adhered to the outer surface of said flat wall dimensioned to cover both said recess and said opening, said recess being non-linear and said side walls consisting of two side walls positioned at an angle to each other, said nesting straw being bent to form two arms, said arms engaging said two side walls.

2. A combination according to claim 1, said opening being spaced from said two side walls.

3. A combination according to claim 1, wherein said recess is triangular in outline and said base wall extends between said side walls thereof.

4. A combination according to claim 3, said opening being positioned in said base wall. 

1. In combination, a liquid container and a drinking straw, said container having at least one flat wall, said flat wall having a depression extending inward into the container providing a recess bound by side walls and a base wall which lies in a plane parallel with said flat wall, said recess being dimensioned to receive said straw and having a depth at least equal to the external diameter of said straw, said flat wall having an accessible opening thereinto dimensioned to permit insertion of the straw into the container, said straw normally nesting in its entirety in said recess, a unitary tear strip adhered to the outer surface of said flat wall dimensioned to cover both said recess and said opening, said recess being non-linear and said side walls consisting of two side walls positioned at an angle to each other, said nesting straw being bent to form two arms, said arms engaging said two side walls.
 2. A combination according to claim 1, said opening being spaced from said two side walls.
 3. A combination according to claim 1, wherein said recess is triangular in outline and said base wall extends between said side walls thereof.
 4. A combination according to claim 3, said opening being positioned in said base wall. 